Chapter 83 - Javier is Sick

Javier was left in that room feeling all the emotions in his heart. Wondering if he’ll be able to survive the surgery and will meet Megan again.

Will he forget all his memories about the woman? Will he forget how much he loves her?

When he first learned about his brain condition after the accident, he was afraid that when the operation was done, he would become a different person. He witnessed how Megan changed when she lost her memories. He also witnessed how she became cold when she got her memory back.

He was afraid that the same might happen to him, and he would only hurt her more.

But now, all he could feel was the need to see her. He wanted to see her before everything turned to chaos.

***

[Marco’s room.]

"Marco..." Megan called Marco's name again while tightly holding his hand.

After a while, Marco's eyes finally opened, causing Megan to burst into tears of relief.

"Marco... Thank God..." she muttered.

Meanwhile, in the Hidalgo mansion, Ava remained seated in the dining room where Javier had left her earlier. She hadn't moved or left since then. The lights were turned off, and everything around her was dark and quiet.

The words Javier said earlier still lingered in her mind. The guilt inside her heart continued to consume her. She didn't realize that her actions had led to this, and she didn't anticipate the effects of what she did to Javier.

She was so selfish and cruel to him. How could she claim to love Javier when all she made him feel was pain?

After a while, her maid arrived with Aaron.

“Why is it so dark in here? Can you turn on the light?” Aaron asked the maid.

At that moment, Ava appeared before them, not even moving from her seat.

“What are you doing in the dark?” Aaron asked her but Ava just ignored him.

“You go ahead and leave us. You won’t be in trouble. I will talk to her. Leave us,” Aaron ordered the maid arrogantly.

The maid hesitated to look at Ava, but Ava didn't acknowledge her, so she left. Aaron quickly approached Ava and sat beside her while continuing to eat.

"Do you want some of this corn dog?" Aaron asked Ava, but she remained unresponsive.

Aaron glanced at his sister for a moment, shrugged, and then took another bite of the corn dog he was holding.

“Do you remember this corn dog? When we were little, I was teased by this boy because my mom was a prostitute. I beat the hell out of him and was sent to a youth detention center. I missed you so much from there,” Aaron halted and bitterly laughed as he looked at Ava.

“I went to your school area. I saw you having this corn dog with your friends. I was so hungry then. I said, Ava, can I have one bite? Then you threw this to the ground. Do you remember?”

Ava furrowed her brow, seemingly growing increasingly annoyed by her brother's words, but she remained silent and continued to feign deafness.

"Since then... you've been treating me this way. I've been like a stray mutt passing by to you. You've never called me brother," he said to Ava, full of resentment.

He gazed at her for a few more seconds before standing up again. He gently ran his hand through her hair and stopped by Ava's side.

“I was really going to kill Javier, but…”

Ava seemed to snap back to reality when she heard that. She quickly glanced at him before swiftly leaving his side.

“Aaron! I already told you I would not leave you alone if you tried to kill him!” Ava hissed angrily to her brother.

But Aaron just stared at her.

“I was offered a building. What’s a big deal about you not leaving me alone? Is it?”

“So?” Ava waited for Aaron’s answer. The guilt and fear in her heart was unstoppable.

“So… I went to go through with it. You know his sister, Jamilah… made me home-cooked meals. I was there to kill her brother. I went there yesterday with the intent to do so. I was really prepared to kill him, but… again, Jamilah mentioned it was my birthday and all. She made me seaweed soup. She even used premium beef. How can I?!” Aaron exclaimed at her, feeling the guilt eating him up.

Ava just stared at him with anger visible on her face.

“How can I possibly kill her brother? How could I kill him after she made me seaweed soup? I don’t know what to do with that midget. The building is out the door now,” With his continuous insinuations, Ava breathed a sigh of relief.

Ava believed that he would carry out what he had long planned, as he had always been like this. Whenever he wanted to kill someone, he would. Especially if there was money or anything else at stake.

"It's all because of you. If you had treated me with more respect or even made me some rice soup... Do you think I, Aaron Choi... would trade seaweed soup for a building? Would I?! It's all your fault!" Aaron yelled furiously and full of resentment at Ava, who just stared at him with cold eyes.

Aaron angrily sat opposite Ava, still cursing vehemently.

“Anyway… Javier is suffering from a fatal disease. He’s going to die on his own.”

Ava snapped back to reality again and quickly looked at Aaron when she heard that.

"What do you mean?"

Aaron ignored her, seemingly preoccupied with other thoughts as he continued to curse. Ava couldn't contain her anxiety and fear during those moments.

“Should I just say I killed him then? Because I crashed into his car before… I can tell them that’s why he died. I deserve half of the money for the building they promised—”

“What do you mean by that?!” Ava cut him off angrily. “Why is he suffering from a fatal disease? Why is he?!”

***

[At the hospital.]

Javier silently stared outside from the window of his hospital room. The night had deepened, and he was sure it was cold outside.

Suddenly, he remembered what Dr. De Silva had said to him.

“Is there anything you’d like to do one last time? Anyone you’d like to see one last time? If you haven’t confessed your love yet, you go do it now. I will give you special permission to do so.”

He had been contemplating visiting Megan and talking to her since earlier, but he hesitated because he was afraid she might not listen to him again and push him away, just like before.

However, he quickly realized that in his current situation, he had nothing to lose. It's now or never. Before he loses his memory or before he fades away completely.

***

[At the karaoke booth.]

After searching for Jamilah, Yvo found her at the karaoke place where she often went with her friends.

He looked at her with concern before entering the booth and turning off the karaoke music, causing Jamilah to stop singing.

“Why did you turn it off?” She shouted at Yvo, who was looking in another direction.

“It’s impossible not to lose your mind right now…” Yvo halted and looked at her. “But this is not how you deal with it.”

Jamilah’s expression hardened.

“I have to practice for an audition tomorrow,” she stated and was about to get the remote, but Yvo held her hand suddenly.

“Let’s go see him.”

Jamilah violently broke free from Yvo's grasp.

“I don’t want to.”

“Jamilah.”

“I won’t see him until the surgery is done,” Jamilah continued to be hard-headed.

“Like you said, he’s your one and only brother. Does it make sense that you won’t see him until the surgery is over? What if…”

Yvo suddenly paused in his speech as he realized what he was about to say. He never wanted to utter those words, but no matter how they turned their world around, it might happen to Javier.

Yvo swallowed the painful lump in his throat and tried getting Jamilah’s hand again.

“Let’s go.”

But Jamilah refused again.

“He might let his guard down then. If he sees me, he might think that it’s all good now that he’s seen me. What if he lets his guard down and dies on us?” Jamilah said, her voice trembling from stopping her cry.

“When I was close to dying in the past, Javier was in prison. You were the only one who looked after me. It was too hard and painful. I wanted to let go of everything. When I was thinking about letting it all go, no, Jamilah, I haven’t seen Javier yet. How could I die without seeing him one last time? I won’t die yet. That’s what kept me going,” Jamilah let her pain out for Yvo to know.

He couldn't explain the pain and fear he was feeling at that moment. It felt like he was brought back to reality. Was this what Javier felt every time he was on the brink of death?

Jamilah couldn't help but wonder, how did Javier endure all of this despite the endless pain he was feeling now?

“So, it might be the same thing for my brother. If he goes in for the surgery without seeing me…” Jamilah beamed and bit her lower lip to stifle her sobs. “During the surgery, if it’s so painful that… he wants to just let go, he will think, no way, I haven’t seen my Jamilah yet. That will help him go on. He will come out of the room alive.”

Yvo smiled bitterly while nodding. He firmly wiped his tears away and looked at Jamilah.

“I agree. You have a point. It’s possible.”

Jamilah sobbed silently while standing there. After a while, Yvo approached her and gently stroked her head.

"You are so smart, Jamilah. You fascinate me."

Their moment was interrupted when Yvo's cell phone suddenly rang.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Ava.”

Yvo was stunned when he heard that.

“Where is Javier now?”

Ava's conscience continued to haunt her as she faced the large mirror in her room. She planned to visit Javier now to talk to him and ask for forgiveness. She wanted to know his condition, but fear overwhelmed her.

What face could she still show Javier? She had invited him to end his life. She was so selfish when it came to Javier, until the very end, not knowing that he was suffering from a serious illness. Ava felt like she was the worst person in the world.

She had prepared to leave when her maid met her at the door.

“Director Hidalgo is coming in,” the maid informed her which made her stunned.

“She is?”

“She says she’s here to change her clothes.”

After a while, Megan entered, and their gazes met instantly. She gave Ava a piercing stare, reminding her of Javier's words, which she couldn't shake off.

“I can live just fine without love. I can manage. Death is hell. Why would living be like hell?”

Ava was keenly aware of how deeply Javier loved Megan. She also knew that it wouldn't change because she knew Javier. Javier could love someone faithfully and infinitely.

Ava also sensed that Megan felt the same way about Javier. However, they both concealed it from each other because of her.

Perhaps this was the right time for her to make amends for all the wrongs she had done to Javier. Even if it was just through this means, she could make up for it.

Javier deserved every happiness the world could offer. He deserved all kinds of love. He deserved everything.

Ava quickly decided to go to Megan's room. She found her there packing her clothes and paused briefly when she saw her.

“Don’t you know how to knock?” Megan coldly asked her stepmother, but Ava just stared at her emotionless.

“What is it? What do you want?”

Megan waited for Ava to speak, but Ava remained silent, just staring at her.

“You’re not here to alleviate your guilty conscience, are you?”

“Javier is… sick.”

Megan blinked twice. She was taken aback when she heard that. It was as if her anger suddenly dissipated, and her full attention shifted to what Ava said.

Javier is what?